Aylesbury coach meets King Charles at special Jiu-Jitsu demonstration
A martial arts coach running a Jiu-Jitsu gym in Aylesbury attended a demonstration with King Charles.
Kevin Capel, who runs the Roger Gracie Academy Buckinghamshire located in Coxhill Way, was invited to a London event organised for the King.
On Wednesday, the Aylesbury instructor was among fellow practitioners at the Roger Gracie gym in Hammersmith who talked and showed King Charles III the value of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
Kevin revealed during the two-hour session a special emphasis was put on the role martial arts can play in giving military veterans a purpose after they return to civilian life.
"I was one of the Lucky few invited to take part,” Kevin revealed to The Bucks Herald. "I’m also an army veteran and a former fire fighter with Bucks Fire and Rescue Service which is why I was invited to this very unique event,” he added.
He revealed that the event was arranged by REORG, a specialist charity that provides veterans with a chance to practice Jiu-Jitsu and train with similarly dedicated people.
Kevin was previously granted a King’s Commendation recognising his work training RAF servicemen the art of BJJ. Over the past decade Kevin has trained RAF personnel based at the nearby site in Halton.
The Gracie family are legendary in combat sport circles, with Royce Gracie famously winning the first ever UFC event. Roger Gracie won 10 BJJ world championships and also competed in the UFC. Over 25 gyms in the UK operate under the Roger Gracie Association with further training centres running in Germany, Austria, and Italy among other nations.